Blue Shadows
by DeathMeetsLife
Summary: The shadows on the purest snow is never gray.


**Blue Shadows**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Only a pair of socks and this computer on which I'm writing (new readers, please reference back to my Gundam Wing fanfic for further details).**

**Summary: The shadows on the purest snow are never gray.**

Naruto hated winter. He hated the cold. He hated the ice. He hated the itchy sweaters, and he hated the gross eggnog Sakura always forced down his throat during her annual Christmas parties… the latest of which he was missing now.

Naruto hated yule-time missions.

_Baka Obaa-san. "Somebody has to do it," my ass…_

Catching a small breather, he pulled off his orange and white mask to the side, watching as his breaths emerged as puffs of smoke. The blonde sighed, thinking of his friends back in Konaha, drinking, laughing and exchanging green and red gifts.

A sudden movement through the trees caught his attention, and he slowly reached for his kunai pouch. As soon as the figure stopped, he struck, kunai moving a second too slow. In a flash, the ninja was in front of him, pulling off its own ANBU mask.

"Naruto-kun! It's just m-me!"

Naruto sighed, lowering his next kunai. "Ah, Hinata. Sorry 'bout that! Thought you were an enemy or somethin'…" He rubbed the back of his neck, vaguely warming his hand in the process. "What are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be enjoying Christmas at the estate with your family?"

"T-Tsunade-sama had a mission for me… I was supposed to find and accompany you back home, Naruto-kun." Averting her light eyes from his bright blue, she knew a light blush graced her cheeks.

"Is that so? Heh, leave it to Obaa-san… it was a _simple_ retrieval mission-"

"-That was to obtain vital historical documents of Konaha and its outlaying villages." She giggled at Naruto's face. "You look like a confused little pup, N-Naruto-kun."

He blinked before grinning his famous fox grin. "Heh, I guess I do… I just didn't realize you had looked so far into the mission." She nodded hesitantly in response, feeling her cheeks flare when her longtime crush brushed a midnight lock from her face and behind her ear. "Sorry… I just noticed how long your hair has gotten… it looks good on you."

"Uh… um… th-thank y-you Naruto-kun… I-I like it, too."

Her companion laughed, his baritone softly echoing through the snow-coated wood. "Good, you should… it's your hair, isn't it?" Receiving another shy nod, he chuckled, rubbing his gloved hands together for warmth.

The Hyuga placed her mask over her milky eyes once more, the mouse's lips curled mockingly at the 20 year old. Naruto could tell his friend was smiling, anyway; blushing insanely, but still smiling. Spinning, she leapt into the trees, where she turned and waited for the blonde, who laughed again.

"Hai, hai, I'm coming, Hinata."

* * *

"Hinata, what have you gotten for Christmas so far?"

"Nande? Oh, we don't exchange gifts until morning, and I didn't have time tonight to go to Sakura-chan's party." Hinata sighed. "I love that eggnog…"

Naruto noticed the disappointment in her voice, and he mentally noted to talk to the Hokage about sending others- especially those who actually _enjoyed _the festivities- on these holiday "trips". "You really could have tuned down the mission, Hinata… I would have been fine."

"I know you would have been." She murmured quietly so the boy wouldn't hear, "But I wanted to spend the holidays with you…" The corners of her lips tilted up, and although Naruto couldn't see, he could tell.

Not to her knowledge, the blonde had heard, and he was inwardly alarmed that she would rather spend her time with him than in her nice, warm mansion with her family or at Sakura's house with her friends.

Deciding to change the subject, he looked around until his eyes landed on the forest floor, where he could see their shadows, shown by the light of the waning moon, darting from tree to tree. "Hey, Hinata! Why are the shadows blue?"

"Naruto-kun, the shadows on the purest snow are never gray."

Naruto stared at her, all time seeming to freeze in the winter night. He noticed the way her white uniform hugged her form, unbroken until the vest met black pants and silver katana. He noticed the way her shoulder-length hair flew behind her, blending with the night sky. He noticed the way she gracefully leapt off each branch, fluidly landing and bounding off once more.

He noticed the way her shadow looked the bluest of them all.

* * *

Hinata and Naruto exited the Hokage Tower, having finally turned in their objective and mission repor, the heiress turning towards the direction of the Hyuga Estate, the Kyuubi boy heading off to his empty apartment. Suddenly, the blonde stopped, looking to his friend with wide eyes.

"Oh! Hinata, I forgot something!" Rushing to her side, he planted a chaste kiss on her cheek before running back to his side of town. "Merry Christmas, Hinata!"

Face on fire, the girl reached up, fingers feathering across her right cheek. Giggling like a giddy schoolgirl, she pranced off home, humming _Silver Bells_ under her breath.

"Merry Christmas… Naruto."

_My first Christmas present…_

**

* * *

****A/N: Yes, yes, I know… it's the middle of summer. So _why_ do I write a Christmas fic? Simple… I FELT LIKE IT! I just couldn't get this out of my head! I've pretty much been toying with it ever since I had a dream the night after I wrote _Weather Patterns_ (which I translated into "WRITE A NARUHINA, BAKA!"). So here it is! The final result!**

**So what do you think I should do- more NaruHina? SasuSaku? Someone else? You vote! Just send in a review with your opinion!**

**--DML**


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